Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie praised rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. after their team picked up its first win of the season.
The Kings, who began the season with a 0-6 record, picked up a big upset win on the road when they beat the Dallas Mavericks 115-100 on Monday night to finally win their first game of the season.
Afterwards, Christie praised his rookie point guard, who was an important part of the Kings’ win.
Doug Christie Shares Kind Words About Darius Acuff Jr.
Speaking to reporters after the Kings beat the Mavericks on the road, Christie shared positive words about Acuff after he helped lead Sacramento to its first win of the season.
Although Acuff started the game off struggling with just 6 points in the first half, he finished the game by scoring 25 points with 6 assists and 5 rebounds against Dallas, and it was his strong finish to the contest that Christie took positives from.
“I don’t worry about him, man. The six assists, he’s going to continue to boost that, but they were very timely. He’s just a special player. He’s going to continue to be aggressive, get downhill. I don’t worry about his starts because he has a level of confidence in himself that he will keep playing,” Christie said.
Had just 6 points in the first half but finished with 25 pts 5 Reb & 6 ast in the win over the Mavs
Darius Acuff Jr. Is Having a Great Rookie Season
Acuff, who was the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is having an amazing rookie season right now, as he’s averaging 26.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
The Kings as a team have struggled out of the gate with a 1-6 record, but you can’t put any of that on Acuff, who has done his job and more during his first season in the NBA.
Despite the win, however, the Kings are still in the basement of the Western Conference, a place they will likely be when the season ends, and so don’t be surprised if the team sells off its veteran pieces ahead of this year’s NBA trade deadline as it looks to build the roster around Acuff for the future, as he is the club’s franchise player.
Doug Christie Praises Darius Acuff Jr. After Kings Win 1st Game